Water conditioning units for steam emitting pressing devices



J1me 1958 A. E. REIMERS ETAL WATER CONDITIONING UNITS FOR STEAM EMITTINGPRES-SING DEVICES Flled March 11, 1954 ATTOIPNE Y WATER CONDITIONIYGUNITS FOR STEAM EMITTING PRESSING DEVICES Alfred E. Reimers, Clearhrook,and Walter K. Tavender and Leonard J. MeCnrmack, Jr., Winchester, Va.

Application March 11, 1954, Serial No. 415,566

3 Claims. (Cl. 210-94) This invention relates to improvements inwater-conditioning units for steam-emitting pressing devices such assteam sadirons and like devices.

Water from water mains is never pure but always contains someobjectionable materials, such as minerals. Steam-discharging sadironshave base portions provided with a series of steam-conducting passagesand steamdischarge outlets extending to the pressing surface, while manyof such sadirons are provided with electric heating elements for heatingand converting into steam water that is fed directly from water mains inorder to produce the steam that is discharged in a pressing operation.Therefore, when water from a water main is fed to electricallyheatedsteam-producing and discharging irons and therein converted into steam,the residual objectionable materials such as minerals clog up andencrust the steam passages A United States Patent and discharge openingsthereof, and may also affect the cleanliness of the steam supplied in apressing operation.

One of the objects of this invention is to embody in the water feedlines of a sadiron of the type specified a unit that will condition thefeed-water prior to entrance feed line of the type specified awater-conditioning unit of the character described and a throttlingdevice.

Still another object of our invention is in a water feed line of thetype described to utilize in combination with a water-conditioning unita suitable filtering device.

A brief summary of our invention comprises the provision in thefeed-water line of a sadiron an efiicient water-conditioning unit ofrelatively small size, embodying a relatively short anchoring elementand a waterconditioning body composed of an elongated transparentplastic hose section wound into a plurality of circular coilssubstantially filled with a water-conditioning material in the form of anon-adherent powder, granular substances or like comminuted solidparticles through which the water is compelled to pass, and which sochanges its color as to be observable through the transparent hose, saidcoils having a connection at one end with the water supply pipe and atthe other end with the steam hose of the sadiron, said coiled bodyhaving its turns suitably fastened together and being supported at itsopposite ends by such anchoring element to retain its circular coiledshape and reduce its overall size.

With these and other objects in view, the invention comprises thecombination of members and arrangement of parts so combined as to co-actand cooperate with each other in the performance of the functions andthe accomplishment of the results herein contemplated, and comprises inone of its adaptations the species or preferred form illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a view in side elevation of a feed-water line to a steamsadiron embodying a coil of transparent hose comprising awater-conditioning unit of our invention;

theerof into the passages of the sadiron by removing from I the waterbeing fed to the sadiron objectionable materials, such as minerals.

Another object of our invention is to utilize a waterconditioning unitembodying means whereby the operative condition of thewater-conditioning material, and consequently of the Water being fed tothe sadiron or like device, may be constantly observed.

Another object of our invention is to provide a waterconditioning unitof the type specified which will comprise a section of the water-supplyhose or conduit to the sadiron or like device and which will be readilyreleasable and replaceable when the water-conditioning material becomesexhausted.

Another object of our invention is in a device of the characterspecified to embody in a water-supply conduit for steam iron a hosesection provided with a body of water-conditioning material in the formof comminuted solid particles through which the feed-water is compelledto pass.

Still another object of our invention is in a device of the characterspecified to employ as a hose section in a water-supply conduit of thecharacter specified a transparent, or partly transparent, plastic tubesubstantially filled with a water-conditioning material in the form of anon-adherent powder or granular substance through which the feed wateris caused to flow and that so changes its color as to be readilyobservable through such transparent, or partly transparent, tube whenthe conditioning quality or characteristics of said material have becomeexhausted and requires replacement.

Another object of our invention is to provide a hoseunit that isdisposable and readily replaceable when and so soon as observation showsthat the color of the material has changed and has thus becomeexhausted.

Another object of our invention is to combine in a Fig. 2 is a sectionon the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary section on the line 3.-3 of Fig. 1 showing apreferred form of filter positioned adjacent to the outlet from the coilof transparent hose shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a view in perspective of our coiled hose unit comprising aseries of coils connected together and supported by an anchoring devicein accordance with our invention; and 1 Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectionthrough the hose adjacent to the outlet and showing the insertion of awad of shredded copper at the outlet end of the hose of saidwater-conditioning unit to prevent passing. beyond said end of thewater-conditioning material.

Referring now to these drawings which illustrate a preferred embodimentof our invention, 10 indicates a water-supply pipe from a suitable watermain, not shown, to which the inlet end of our suitably supported Water:conditioning unit D, comprising our coil of hose which is filled with awater-conditioning material in commiuuted form that has a chemical orionic afiinity for'objectionable materials such as minerals contained inWater, is suitably connected, while the outlet end is connected to asadiron, as hereinafter more particularly specified.

The outlet end of the water-supply pipe 10 is preferably provided with aconventional screwthreaded connection and one end of a pressure-reducingvalve 11, which is conventionally adjustable, is connected between saidoutlet 10 and said unit D. Said valve 11 preferably is connected to andsold as part of our water-conditioning apparatus and is positioned atthe inlet end of the water-conditioning unit D to vary the pressure inthe line in accordance with requirements of such unit. We alsopreferably provide in connection with said valve, or in the lineadjacent thereto, a pressure gauge 10a to show the pressure.

As illustrated, the valve 11 is provided at its inlet side with aconventional screw threaded nipple 11a which is connected to thewater-supply pipe 10, and said valve 11 also has a screw-threadedconnection at its outlet side .to whichis applied .athreaded nipple 12c.(Fig. 4), which forms part of a downturnedtelbow 12 passing through an,

aperture 13 in a rectangularly positioned and projecting flange.1'4dfcomprising one endiof a supporting member comprising an anchoringbracket '14, and then suitably iconnected at .15 'to a hose member 16that is formed into aiseries of coils 17 and has at its opposite endanother downturned elbow12a connected to and supported by the oppositeflange 14b of said supporting bracket 14. Four of-such coils 17 areshown, and, as illustrated, the lead hose section 16 has an inclinedportion 18 which is passed through the coils 17 from oneside thereof tothe other .so -as to provide a centralized and stable body of coilsarranged in substantially the plane of the flanges Fla-14b of thesupporting bracket 14. Said body of coils'17 is suitably fastenedtogether preferably by bands 19 of adhesive tape and the terminal endmember 17b o'f the coiled hose is connected at to the elbow 12 a whichpasses through an aperture 13a in the rectangularly turned andprojecting flange 14!: of the anchoring bracket 14. nipple 12b adaptedto be connected to a valve 20 (Fig. ,1), which, as shown, is aconventional shutofi valve. The valve'2'0 is then preferably connectedtoa filtering member 21, which, as shownyis provided with an external'screwthread 21'e by which it is connected by .a connecting element 22to a water-feed jhose '23 of a steam sadiron '24. e

' 'In the preferred form of our invention illustrated, thefilter'21'(see Fig. 3) comprises a metallic shell'21a having'an internalchamber 21b provided with a body of filtering material'such as wovencotton tape 21c suitably held in place by screens 21d-21d'.

In accordance with our invention as shown, the coiled hose 17 iscomposed of a transparent or semi-transparent plastic material which issubstantially filled with a waterconditioning substance preferably inthe comminuted form ofpowder or granular material, and in the preferredembo'diment of our invention such water-conditioning material iscomposed of a powdered or granular substance that changes-its color whenthe efiectiveness of its waterconditioning function is exhausted. In the,device illustrated, we provide means for observing the color conditionofthe water-conditioning material, and when its conditioning quality orcharacteristics have become exhausted, the water is shut offand thecoiled hoseis removed by a mere unscrewingofthe connections and may bethen replaced. V

We have thus provided a unit or device that ishighly eflicient and isreadily-removable from its position and readily replaceable when and sosoon as observation shows that the color of the water-conditioning,material has changed and has thus become exhausted.

It will be-seen that the use of a plurality of circular coils willcompel the water to traverse a very long path through such circularcoils which thus enables an etfec tive water-conditioning action of thematerial within the unit.

By the use of a long hose in coiled condition, we also provide a unitthat will have a longer'life than would be possible with a unit having arelatively short passage for v the flow of water. a

Our elongated unit comprising said circularly-coiled body oftransparentplastic hose so filled with a granulated water-conditioningmaterial is provided with means to prevent the passage 'ofthe'water-conditioning materialwith the flow of water. We avoid suchmovement ofsuch material, first, by suspending or hanging the unit withthe outlet and inlet elements extending vertically in a downwarddirection to permit the gravity of the Waterconditioning material tooperate asv a retarding influence against displacement of V suchmaterial by the flow of water, also by reducing the size ofthe bores ofthe'outletnipple relatively to the size or diameter of the hose Saidelbow 121: preferably has a screw-threaded and by providing a wad ofshredded copper ,25 ,of suitable size or dimensions and inserting orforcing the same into position at the outlet end of the hose in the pathof movement of the reconditioned water as it leaves the transparenthose. prevents the passing of all such granular water-conditioningmaterial with the reconditioned water through said outlet end of thehose. 7

We have found that the suspended body or coiled hose provides astabilizing influence on the comminuted or powdered material to permitwater to flow therethrough under suitably adjusted pressure of the inletvalve 11.

ln operation, water from themain 10 ispassed in adjusted pressurethrough the valve 11 and into the coil 17 where it filters through thepowdered material in the coiled-up body of hose and passes outwardlythrough the outlet leg 17b and nippel 12b into the conventional filter21 whichwill take up any physical constitutents in the flow of water.The feed water is thus passed in the steam hose 23 of the steam iron 24free from physical particles as well as being in substantially purecondition and free from objectionable matter, such as mineralingredients that might cause a clogging up and encrusting of the steampassages and discharge openings thereof, and might also exited thepurity of the stream of steam supplied in a pressing operation.

Cur unit will cause the, feed water to travel along, tortuous path andthus-such objectionable materials, such as minerals contained in suchfeed water, will have prolonged contact'with the water-conditioningagent'so as to be completely neutralized and filtered out by continuouscontact over such long path of travel.

The water-conditioning material employed by us has a chemical or ionicaflinity for the objectionable matter, including salt and other mineralsin the water supply,

and the action of such water-conditioning material is to combineinchemical 'or ionizing union with such objecq tionable materialscarried in the water, thus gradually exhausting the aflinity of the saidmaterial and causing the combined material to change its color, butduring such changing of color reducing to an extremely low level thecontent of objectionable materials in the through our unit.

In our said preferred water-conditioning material cations, orpositively'charged particles, in the raw water are exchanged forhydrogen ions in the material, and anions, or negatively chargedparticles, are exchanged for hydroxyl ions on such material during thepassage of the water through the unit; Hydrogen and hydroxyl ionsresulting from the two exchange processes react almost instantly witheach other to form water molecules, so that the effiuent from the unitcontains only water and nothing else.

water passing The change of color hereinabove referred to may beobserved through the substantially transparent walls of the coiled hoseand is clearly noticeable. When the said exhaustion of the material hasreached a degree that instead of the initial blue-black color, suchmaterial assumes a yellowish tinge indicating that such combining powerof such material is completely or substantially exhausted, the saidcoiled hose unit is released from its a position in the water-feed orsupply and is replaced by a This wad of shredded copper effectivelyciency when the pressure on the gauge is held to approximately lbs. persq. inch, and the hose in conjunction with the filter 21 passes about 60drops of water per minute.

Having described our invention, we claim:

1. A water conditioner unit for steam-emitting pressure devicescomprising, in combination, an elongated hose unit formed into acontracted hose body comprising a plurality of coils composed ofsubstantially transparent material, said coiled hose body beingsubstantially filled with a Water conditioning material in cornminutedform and having a given color observable through the said transparentmaterial of said hose body, said water-conditioning material having anafiinity for materials that are objectionable for passage through asteam-emitting pressing device and are conventionally contained in watersupplied from water mains, said water-conditioning material beingadapted to change its color upon exhaustion, an inlet connection pipe atone end for feeding from a water supply to said hose body water to bereconditioned, an outlet connection pipe at the opposite end of saidhose body for connection to a steam-emitting pressing device and passingreconditioned water from said body thereto, a relatively short anchoringbracket element contacting with said connecting pipes for supportingsaid hose body, and means comprising a wad of shredded copper positionedat the said outlet end of said coiled hose body in the path of movementof reconditioned water for preventing the outward passage with thereconditioned water of comminuted material from said hose body.

2. A water-conditioner unit as claimed in claim 1 in which thecolor-changing conditioning material in said hose body comprisesnon-adherent powder which permits ready passage of water therethroughand the plurality of coils of said hose body have the turns thereoffastened together to provide a unitary body that is sus- 6 pended invertical position from the anchoring bracket element to provide the longpath for Water to be treated and to cause the changing color of saidpowdered material to be observable therethrough.

3. Awater-conditioner unit as claimed in claim 1 in which a filteringmeans is embodied in the said waterconditioning unit and consists ofwoven cotton held between two screens and arranged in conjunction with apressure reducing valve to cause water to be passed through the outletend of the conditioning unit at about drops per minute.

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